Dr. Zubieta’s research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the regulation of stress responses. He is applying this work towards the understanding of mood disorders and affective regulation, as well as conditions where physical and emotional stressors play a significant role, most notably substance abuse disorders. In recent years he is also studying the neurobiological mechanisms underlying placebo effects in these conditions. Recent work has included the study of genetic variants (e.g., Neuropeptide Y) that are associated with resiliency and vulnerability to stress and the development of major depression. He has over 15 years of experience in the use of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, integrated with genetic and other biomarkers, to study inter-individual variations in stress mechanisms in healthy humans and in patients diagnosed with mood and substance use disorders.

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